Rail bond



Aprilzz, 1930. W. P. BOVARD 1,755,466

RAIL BOND Filed April l5, 1925 waeren-r n. scHAa-r-EM gg @www Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITEDV STATES Ldd@ PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM P. BOVARD, F MEANSFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE OHIO BRASS COMPANY, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY RAIL BOND '-Application led April 15, 1925. Serial No. 23,343.

My invention relates to connectors and has particular reference to that class of connectors known as rail bonds by means of which the adjacent ends of conductor rails are electrically united. My invention is not limited to the connecting of conductor rails as it may be applied to other uses such as the connecting of bus bars and heavy conductors.

v The object of my invention is to provide a l0 bond which may be conveniently applied to the conductor and be electrically connected and which will form therewith means to catch, support and retain welding metal which is used to secure the bond to the conductor. Other objects will lbe disclosed as further description of my invention .is set forth.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the 2 0 various parts herein described and disclosed in the drawing accompanying this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig-1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of one terminal of Fig. 1. Both terminals are constructed alike.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 on the line 4 4.

Fig. 5 is sectional view of one of the termiconductor composed of a plurality of individual wires thereby giving flexibility to the body member. Attached to the ends of the body member are terminal members 2. -The body member 1 I prefer to make of copper on account of its high. electric conductivity, but the terminal member 2 I prefer to make of steel or iron or other ferrous material as this material is stronger mechanically, is cheaper y, member. I prefer to allow the end of the tion 3 which is shown in Fig. 4 as being of 55 'elliptical cross-section in order to take the two cables 1. If a single conductor is used a cross-section of the collar 3 will be a circle 'or close thereto'. The sides of the collar 3 are projected upwardly to form the back-wall 4.

Projecting from the back-wall 4 are arms 5 which are adapted to over-hang the horizontal, or substantially horizontal, surface of the conductor to be bonded.

The collar 3 has positioned therein the ends of the body member 1 and interposed between the body member 1 andthe collar 3 is a sleeve 6 which I prefer to make of copper. The sleeve 6 will'prevent the collar 3 from biting into or nicking the body member 1 when the collar 8 is squeezed into position about the body member 1. This squeezing or compressing of the collar 3 about the body member 1 mechanically unites the body and terminal body member to project up above the upper edge of the collar 3. It will be noted that the back-wall 4 forms a portion of a receptacle and that the en'd of the body portion projects into this receptacle.

When the bond is positioned in place upon al rail 7, as shown in Fig. 7, it will be noted that the arms 5 form side walls projecting vertically from the surface of the rail and form with the surface of the rail retaining means for the molten metal used in securing the bond to the rail.

In the application of the bond to a rail,

`it is applied in position, as shown in Fig. 8,

and the relation of the terminals from a top and end position is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 respectively. If desired, a clamp may be used for securing the bond in position on the rail until the welding operation has been completed, or other means may be emplo ed.

- Having positioned the bond in place may make use of either the electric arc or oxyacetylene flame to melt the welding material. If the electric arc is used, I may employ either a carbon electrode or a metal electrode 100 which is composed of the metal I desire to weld the bondto the rail. A detailed description of these heating means is not necessary as they are old and well known in the art. The welding metal I prefer to be of a copper base, bronze or it may be copper with a small percentage of phosphorus, silicon, boron or other materials which will act as a iuX. It will be noted that the back-wall 4 and projecting side walls 5 form with the adjacent face of the rail and with the ends of the bond body a recess or cavity which will catch, support and retain the molten welding metal, and when the space between the walls 4 and 5 and the surface of the rail has been filled with `the welding metal 8 the terminal member 2 becomes an integral part of the applied bond.

In the application of the welding metal, if I am employing a metal electrode, I may first apply it to the end of the bond body which projects within the space above the collar 3 and first melt this projecting portion down and simultaneously add from the metal electrode additional molten-metal which will help to fill the space already mentioned. As soon as the end of the body member 1 has been melted I may then apply the arc around the inner adjacent edge of the walls 4 and 5 and deposit along this edge metal from the electrode. The arc may then be applied to portions of the rail surface within the confines of the side walls 5 until this surface is covered and then the arc from the metal electrode may be played around at various points within the confines of the walls 4 and 5 until sufficient metal has been melted from the electrode to properly lill the space between the walls 4 and 5. The prolonged application of the heat of the arc or of the Oxy-acetylene iame will tendto maintain the welding metal in a molten condition, and it will tend to unite very securely with the rail, with the inner surfaces of the walls 4 and 5 and with the end surface of the body member 1 thereby uniting the body, the rail and the terminal member each to the other through the medium of the welding metal. The terminal member 2 being of steel very greatly reinforces the welding metal thereby greatly adding to the strength of attachment of the bond to the rail.

It will be noted by observing Fig. 7 that the collar portion 3 might be lowered to a point where the vertical face of the rail would be exposed within the confines of the wall 4. It is quite evident that this would give the side face of the rail an additional attaching surface for the welding metal. In constructing the terminal 2, I prefer to form the same up out of a single sheet of steel or iron, as in this way I am able to produce a terminal composed of a uniform grade of metal and of uniform thickness and of good appearance and at a low cost of manufacture, and a terminal of this character will heat up more readily under the action of the heating fiame and thereby form a stronger and more secure connection with the welding metal than where the terminal is made of cast material and of heavy cross-section.

Other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art but I do not wish to be limited other than by my claims.

I claim:

1. A rail bond comprising a iiexible body member and a terminal member, the terminal member comprising means to grip the body member adjacent the end of the body member, a projecting retaining wall about a portion of the exposed end of the body member to catch, support and retain molten attaching metal and means projecting laterally from the retaining wall to engage a rail and support the bond thereon and to form with the rail a receptacle to catch, support and retain attaching metal used in securing the bond to the rail.

2. A rail bond comprising a flexible body member and a terminal member, the terminal member comprising means to grip the body member adjacent the end of the body member, a retaining wall about the exposed end of the body member, means projecting laterally from the said retaining wall to engage a rail and form therewith a second retaining wall, the said retaining walls adapted to form with the rail a receptacle to catch, support and retain the molten metal and to secure the terminal, the bond and the rail each to the other.

3. A rail bond comprising a flexible body member and a terminal member, the terminal member comprising means to grip the body member adjacent its end and allow the end face of the body to be exposed, an upstanding wall about the end of the body member and spaced therefrom, and means projecting laterally from the wall to engage and overhang a rail surface, the upstanding wall and the projecting means forming means to catch and retain molten attaching metal in contact with the rail surface and exposed'end face of the body used to secure the bond to the rail.

4. A rail bond comprising a iexible body member and a terminal member secured together, the terminal member comprising means to grip the body member adjacent its end, upstanding means having a portion to form a receptacle about the exposed end of the body member and laterally projecting and spaced members to form a separate receptacle with the rail and both receptacles being continuous and adapted to catch, support and retain molten attaching metal.

5. A rail bond comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together, the terminal member consisting of a sleeve portion surrounding and gripping the body member, an upstanding wall surrounding the exposed end of the bond body on substantially three sides and spaced therefrom and p rojections from the ends of the wall to overhang a rail and form therewith a receptacle to catch, support and retain welding metal in the molten condition.

6. A rail bond adapted to be applied to a side surface of a rail comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together and spaced means projecting from the terminal member and overlying the adjacent upper surface of the rail andforming therewith a receptacle to catch, support and retain attachin metal whilelin a fused condition.

g. A rail bond comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together, the

terminal comprising three parts, one to grip the body adjacent its end, another to form a' receptacle about the end face of the body member and the third comprising spaced and projecting means to form a receptacle with a rail, the receptacles to catch and retain molten attaching metal.

8. A rail bond comprising a bodymember and a terminal member secured together, the terminal member consisting of a portion to grip the end of the body member, spaced means projecting laterally from the terminal to overhang a rail and form therewith a receptacle to catch, support and retain welding metal in the molten condition to unite the body and terminal members each to the other and to the rail.

9. A rail. bond comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together, the terminal member consisting of a portion tof grip the bond end, a receptacle formed by the longitudinal extension of said portion and partially surrounding the end of the body and means projecting from the terminal to overhang a surface of the rail to which the bond is attached.

10. A rail bond to be welded to arail base comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together, said terminal memminal.

11. rail bond to be welded to a rail base comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together, said terminal member provided with a portion to engage the body member, spaced projecting walls to extend along the upper surface of the rail base with the end of the body exposed between the walls, the body and terminal members forming an open top, open bottom and open end retaining portion and forming with the surface of the rail base an open top and open end receptacle to catch and retain molten metal to be welded to the body, rail and terminal.

12. A bond terminal formed up of sheet metal comprising a portion bent up to engage a cable, spaced, projecting members formed up into retaining walls to rest upon and extend along a rail base, the ends of the members away from the said portion being unconnected and the end of the cable exposed between the members, the members forming an open top, open bottom and open end retainer and forming with the upper surface of the rail base a receptacle to catch and retain molten metal in position to be fused to the base, terminal and cable.

13. A bond terminal formed up of sheet metal comprising a portion bent or formed into shape to receive and grip the end of a cable without concealing the end face of the cable, projecting means formed and bent into shape to extend along and rest upon the upper surface of a rail base, the end of the cable, the rail base, the said portion and the projecting means forming a rece tacle in which molten attaching metal may e deposited in position to be fused to the parts to unite each part to the other through the medium of the solidified attaching metal.

14. A rail bond comprising a flexible body member composed of a plurality of lengths of` cable arranged to form a relatively wide flat conductor and a terminal member secured to each end of the body member, each terminal member comprising parts forming upstanding back and end walls and another terminal part which, together with the end face of the body member, forms a supporting bottom, lugs projecting from the end walls to overlie the rail base and support the bond in position with the aforesaid other terminal part extending along the forward edge of the rail base, the said terminal parts and lugs being A integral, and the said back and end walls, supporting bottom and rail base cooperating to form a receptacle to catch and retain molten attaching metal. l

15. A rail bond adapted to be applied to a side surface of a rail comprising a body member and a terminal member secured together f and having spaced projecting means, a por-y tion of said projecting means overlying the adjacent upper surface of the rail and another portion forming with said rail a receptacle with the body member exposed therein to catch, support and retain the attaching metal in a fused condition.

16. A railbond composed of a iiexible body member and a terminal member secured thereto, the body member comprising a plurality of separate lengths of cable laid side by side to form a relatively Wide at body member, the terminal member comprising a portion to grip the -end of the body member, spaced means projecting laterally from the terminal 5 member to overlie a rail and form therewith a receptacle to catch, support and retain Welding metal in molten condition to unite the body and terminal members each to the other and to the rail.

17. A rail bond comprising a exible body member and a terminal member secured thereto and to be applied to a side surface of a rail, the terminal consisting of a portion to receive and grip the body member, spaced means projecting from the said portion to form with the said portion and the rail a receptacle in which the end of the body member is exposed and other spaced proj ect-ing means to overlie the rail surface to form therewith a receptacle.

In testimony whereof l amr: my signature.

WEAR/li P. BUVARD. 

